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Decomposers break down feces and dead plant and animal matter into simple nutrients that can be used by primary producers like plants and algae. Decomposers are an essential part of the ecosystem since they ensure the cycling of various nutrients, including carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium. By allowing these nutrients to return to the…
Seahorses are technically fish and are most notable for their uncanny appearance. They live in shallow seas in the tropical and temperate parts of the world. They are active swimmers but also spend a lot of their lives sleeping. Sea horses do not like to float around when sleeping so seahorses will latch onto anything…
If you’ve been outside in springtime, you may have seen young birds that are not quite babies and not quite adults. These little fledglings are everywhere in springtime, but what is so special about these immature birds? Fledgling is the state a bird enters after being a “nestling” (baby) and can be compared to the…
Bacteria and fungi are called decomposers because they break down dead organic material into simple chemical nutrients, like carbon and nitrogen compounds, that can be used by plants and algae. Being the most abundant decomposers on earth, bacteria and fungi play an extremely important role in the recycling of nutrients in ecosystems. They are present…
Groundhogs are a common sight in many backyards across North America. These furry creatures may look cute and cuddly, but they can be a nuisance when they start digging up your garden! Groundhogs are herbivores and eat grasses and vegetables and fruits most of the time. However, they may eat insects, nuts, and mushrooms from…
Most bacteria get their nutrients by breaking down organic matter from things that were alive at some point, which classifies them as heterotrophs. This includes the bacteria in the soil and those that make us sick. This is effectively classifying most bacteria consumers or decomposers. And these bacteria are immensely important for our ecosystems. Other…
Octopuses are members of the mollusk group which includes creatures like snails, mussels, and squids. Octopuses breathe underwater through a set of internal gills which extract oxygen from the water as they do not have lungs to breathe air. An octopus uses its gills to breathe like other sea creatures, it cannot breathe air. If…
Gophers are mostly herbivores and feed on a range of plant materials, and their love for roots can cause damage to garden plants like trees, flowers, vegetables, and shrubs. Gophers are burrowing rodents that live in tunnels in the ground. They create these tunnels by moving through the soil with their teeth and chiseling it…
Squids are deep-sea animals. They spend their whole life underwater and are not able to survive on land. This is primarily because they cannot breathe (or walk!) on land. Squids use gills to breathe like fish and other sea creatures. It is the most common way for water-breathing creatures to get oxygen from the water…
Robins are a type of bird that is found in North America. They are brown and red or orange in chest color and have a white belly. Their beak is short and their body is rounded. For a backyard bird, the robin is medium in size (bigger than sparrows but smaller than crows) and they…